Damaged goods
by Skovko
Summary: Roman fell in love with Whitney back when they met. She had another boyfriend at the time so he settled with being friends. She broke up with her boyfriend a few months back and they've been moving closer ever since. He thought the party tonight would finally be the day where he got to make his move but too much alcohol and an angry ex boyfriend ruin it.
1. Not willingly

Roman and Seth were bobbing their heads to the Guns N Roses song that played. They were at Jason Jordan's house. The party was loud and most people were happy. Roman certainly was happy despite Whitney no longer being downstairs in the living room where the party was being held.

He had been in love with her for a long time. It dated back to when he first met her. Back then she was dating Joe, nick name Samoa Joe, and Roman never told her. Joe hadn't been a good boyfriend and Whitney finally dumped Joe a few months ago. Since then Roman had done everything he could to get closer to her and spend more time with the black haired beauty with the emerald green eyes.

"Where's Whitney? She's been gone for a while," Seth looked around.  
"She got too drunk so she's upstairs resting," Roman said.  
"Wasn't this supposed to be some sort of date?" Seth smirked.  
"If you can call it that," Roman chuckled. "Technically we did arrive together and I was hoping for some midnight sugar but that's not happening with how drunk she is."  
"You still have time," Seth winked. "I just know you two will end up together soon."

Neither men noticed Joe sitting on a chair behind them and listening in on their conversation. Everyone knew he wasn't happy about Whitney dumping him. He had tried persuading, begging and even threatening her to take him back. No matter what tactic he had used, he had been met with a big, fat no. She was done with him but he wasn't done with her. Hearing that she was upstairs sleeping, he got up from the chair and walked out of the room.

No one seemed to take notice in him leaving the living room. People went in and out constantly. He walked up the stairs and opened the door to Jason's bedroom. There on the bed Whitney was lying on her stomach. Her black leggings and jade green silk top had move apart a little, showing just a minimum of her skin. He didn't care about her upper body. He didn't need that part. His eyes were fixated on her leggings-covered ass.

He closed the door soundlessly behind him without ever taking his eyes off her ass. He missed that ass badly. Missed touching it, squeezing it, slapping it. Anything she would allow him to do with it. He had tried pushing it, tried making her give him all of it, but she had refused.

He walked over to the bed, straddled her legs, and pulled her leggings and panties down. That shiny, white ass was right in front of him. He grabbed it with both hands and instantly he was hard. He let go with one hand, fumbling to open his jeans and get his dick out. She started stirring and turned her head a bit.

"What's going on?" She mumbled.  
"Ssh, go back to sleep, baby," he said.  
"Joe?" She asked. "What are you..."

Her words were cut off as he pushed inside her. She wasn't wet and it burned badly. She tensed up, her fingers grabbing at the sheets, trying to find something to hold on to and pull herself away. She was still too drunk to fight but she knew exactly what was going on.

"No, Joe! Stop!" She begged.  
"Shut up!" He growled.  
"Please, stop!" She begged.

He pressed her head down in the pillow while he continued to thrust inside her.

"I said shut up!" He growled. "Just lie still and it'll all be over soon. You wanna leave me, huh? You wanna leave me, you bitch? You don't get to fucking leave me!"

His thrusts became harder and faster for every word he got out. He suddenly stopped, still buried deep inside her and with a hand in her hair. He leaned down so his mouth was right next to her ear.

"You know what, baby?" His voice dripped with venom. "I'm gonna take the one thing you never wanted to give me."

He kept his hand in her hair while reaching between them with his other hand. His dick slid out of her pussy but before she could even think of taking a sigh of relief, he started forcing his way into her ass.

"No! Stop! Joe, please, stop!" She cried.

She clawed wildly at the sheets but nothing worked. The pain was unlike any she had ever felt before. She didn't know when he pushed in or pulled out. The burn was there constantly and all she could do was clench the pillow with her hands until he finished. Finally she heard him grunt like he always did when he came. He pulled out of her, leaned back on his knees, and she heard the zipper of his jeans being pulled back up. He got out of bed and leaned down to her tear filled face again.

"Thank you, baby," he kissed her cheek. "Call me if you wanna go out next week. After all, who else would ever want you now? You're damaged goods."

He was mocking her on purpose and all she could do was lie there and take it. He walked out of the room and closed the door after him. She lied still for a while. She knew she had to get dressed and get out of there before anyone found her like this.

"What can I say?" Roman slightly blushed. "I've never met anyone like her before. I know that's what we all say when we're in love but..."

Joe had walked into the living room to those words and he couldn't help but laugh loudly.

"In love? You're in love with Whitney? She doesn't want you, Roman," Joe said.  
"Don't," Seth said. "He's not worth it. Everyone knows she dumped his sorry ass."  
"Funny you say ass after what happened," Joe smirked.  
"Alright, we'll bite. What just happened?" Roman asked.  
"Whitney might have dumped me in a moment of weakness but she's not done with me. If she was, how come I just fucked her upstairs?" Joe asked.  
"I don't have to sit and listen to this," Roman said.

He got up and walked out of the living room just as Whitney took the final step down the stairs. She didn't look around at anyone. She walked towards the front door, slightly limping. Roman felt angry and hurt. She walked like she had just gotten some angry makeup sex. Joe had been right.

She left the party without a word to anyone. He stared at the front door for a few seconds before he decided to follow her. She didn't live far from Jason. Just further down the street. He caught up with her in no time, walking silently next to her with his arms crossed, hoping she would say something and explain herself. Not that she really needed to. She and Roman had never crossed the line between friends and lovers but he had wanted it to happen. He thought she wanted it too. He felt weirdly betrayed. She stopped in front of her house, bent over and threw up in the bushes.

"Aren't you just a lovely sight tonight?" He asked in a hard tone.  
"Why do you care? All you wanna do is fuck me too," she bit back.

She walked up her driveway fast, fumbling to get her keys out of her purse. He was there a second later, not ready to let go of this conversation now that they had started it.

"I'm not gonna deny that. I've wanted you for a long time and I actually thought you wanted me too. And maybe you still do. But I'm not about to play second fiddle to someone who already spread her legs willingly for another man tonight," he said.  
"Willingly?" She raged. "I didn't spread them willingly, you asshole! He took what he wanted!"

He felt like the wind had been knocked out of him when he heard those words. Her own eyes widened in shock. Clearly she hadn't meant to blurt it out like that. She probably never wanted him or anyone else to find out.

"What are you saying?" He asked.  
"Forget it. Go home, Roman, and leave me the fuck alone," she said.

She turned around to get her key in the door. She was shaking and still drunk and therefore not able to get it in the keyhole. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder and she jumped forward to get away from him.

"Don't touch me!" She yelled.

She pressed herself against the door and his heart broke by the look of fear and pain in her eyes.

"Whitney," he spoke softly. "It's me. I'm not gonna hurt you."

He moved as slow as he could so he wouldn't surprise her. He took her in his arms and she broke down, sobbing into his shirt. He held her with one arm, took her keys with his free hand, unlocked the door and escorted her inside. He moved her to her bedroom where he finally released her.

"What do you wanna do? Should we call somebody? The police? You gotta report it," he said.  
"I just wanna sleep," she said.  
"But Whitney..." He tried.  
"I said I wanna sleep," she cut him off. "I'll deal with it in the morning. I just want tonight to go away."  
"Okay," he nodded. "Lie down and get some sleep. Do you need me to get you something?"  
"No, I'm good. Thank you though. You can go home. I'll be fine," she said.

She kicked off her flip flops and lied down on the bed fully dressed. She rolled over on her side, curling up into a fetal position. His heart was hurting by seeing her like that. He wanted to lie down next to her and hold her but he knew that wouldn't be a smart choice. Instead he quietly left her bedroom to let her sleep.

He went into her living room, got out of his boots, laid down on her couch and pulled a blanket over him. He wasn't gonna go home even though she had asked him to. She had said she would deal with it in the morning and he would be there to deal with it too. She wasn't gonna go through this alone. What had happened tonight didn't change his feelings for her. He was still in love with her and he was gonna be there for her every step of the way.


	2. Wash it all off

Whitney woke up next morning. Her entire body ached in pain but it was nothing compared to how she felt inside. She got out of bed and walked to the bathroom. She sat down to pee and stared at her blush pink panties. They were messed up with dry fluids. Everything turned inside her.

She got out of her panties and leggings. She left both items on the floor while she finished peeing. Afterwards she went back to the bedroom to put on a fresh pair of panties. She didn't have any plans of leaving her house or answering her phone today. She just wanted the world to go away. She walked to the kitchen in search of something to drink. Instead she jumped in surprise at the big body messing with her coffee maker.

"Roman? What are you doing here?" She asked.

He turned around and ran his eyes down to her bare legs. He quickly moved them back up. He didn't want her to feel he was another predator.

"I crashed on your couch," he answered.  
"Why?" She asked.  
"After last night I didn't want you to be alone today," he answered.  
"After last night? What happened? I was so drunk I don't remember anything. How did I even get home?" She asked.  
"Really, you're gonna play it that way? Pretend you don't remember and that it never happened so it will magically disappear?" He asked.

She crossed her arms, trying to look as normal as possible. He could see she was lying. He only knew of one way to prove his point. He quickly placed both his hands on her arms. She flinched back in fear and hit her lower back on the countertop. He slowly raised his hands like the night before and pulled her into a much needed hug.

"You do remember. It did happen. And I'm not gonna let you bury the truth. He doesn't deserve to be walking around," he said.  
"I don't know what to do," she said.  
"We're gonna go to the police and report him," he said.  
"I'm scared," she said.  
"I'm gonna be there with you. Do you have any proof?" He asked.  
"My panties is on the bathroom floor," she answered. "They're full of..."

Her voice trailed off and he held her tighter. He was beyond angry now. He was livid. Joe didn't deserve to be breathing after what he had done to her.

"I'll go get them," he said.  
"I don't want you to see them," she said.  
"Tough shit because I'm going to. Don't worry, I won't touch them. Evidence and all," he kissed the top of her head. "You probably should be getting some pants on before we leave."  
"Oh my god!" She blushed.

She had completely forgotten about being half naked in front of him. She hurried to the bedroom to get some pants on. Meanwhile he grabbed a small plastic bag from a drawer and walked out in the bathroom. Anger flushed through him again when he saw the panties. With a hand inside the bag, he grabbed the panties and turned the bag inside out so the panties was inside it without him ever having touched them.

"You got them?" She asked.

He turned his head to see her stand in the door. She had put on a pair of black jeans and a black hoodie.

"I got them," he held up the bag.  
"Do I really have to do this?" She asked.  
"No, you don't have to," he answered. "But can you live with yourself if you don't do it and he does it to someone else?"

She knew he had a point but that didn't stop her from feeling nervous. It didn't help that Roman couldn't be there when she had to talk to a cop. A big man named Brock Lesnar who looked anything but friendly. It turned out that his personality matched his look.

"And how much did you have to drink?" He asked.  
"What does that have to do with anything?" She asked.  
"Maybe your intentions weren't clear," he answered.  
"My intentions? I woke up to him raping me! What the fuck were my intentions in that?" She yelled.  
"Calm down, miss, or we can't talk," he said.

She wanted to slap the taste out of his mouth but instead she sat there and tried to calm herself down. Nothing good would come out of her assaulting a cop.

"So you said he's your ex, right?" He asked.  
"Right," she answered.  
"So maybe you asked him for a bit more? Or maybe you dressed up a bit more slutty to show him what he was missing out on?" He suggested.  
"I could have been naked and it still didn't give him the right to do that," she said.  
"Did you even say no?" He asked.  
"I fucking begged him to stop. Repeatedly," she answered.  
"Look, we can't just go around trashing a man's reputation all because some girl has seconds thoughts about sleeping with him," he said.

She had heard enough. She stood up fast. He gave her a smug smile as if he had been right in what he had just said. She still had the bag with her panties in her hand.

"How about instead of victim blaming, you actually do your fucking job?" She snarled.

She threw the bag at his face. He had fast reflexes and caught it before it hit him.

"Those are the panties I wore last night!" She hissed. "Use them for your own sick, perverted fantasy of how I apparently wanted it!"

She stomped out of the room. Roman sat on a chair in the waiting room. He jumped up when he saw the angry woman coming towards him.

"How did it go?" He asked.  
"We're leaving!" She growled. "I can't believe you fucking made me do this!"

They went back out in the car. Despite it being her car, he had driven them there. She got into the passenger seat again and fell apart on the spot. He reached over from the driver's seat, taking her in his arms and holding her.

"He didn't believe me. He said I wanted it," she cried.  
"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry for taking you here. I should have listened to you."  
"No, it's not your fault. I'm sorry for snapping at you in there. I know this was the right thing. I just had to deal with a shitty cop who doesn't wanna do his job," she said.

He drove her home again. She was a mess and he wasn't sure how to help her. She took her phone out of her back pocket and looked at it. It started ringing and she dropped it with a little scream. He picked it up and looked at it.

"Unknown caller," he said. "Do you wanna answer?"

She shook her head and he hit the red button. He looked at her with a little smile on his face.

"Go pack a bag," he said.  
"Why?" She asked.  
"You're coming home with me," he said.  
"No, I can't," she said.  
"Says who?" He chuckled. "No offence, sweetheart, but you're a mess. You just got scared of your own phone. So pack a bag and let me take care of you for a few days. Can you call in sick for work?"  
"I got a week of saved vacation. I can take that if I call my boss today and ask for it," she said.  
"Good, you do that," he said. "Now go pack a bag."

Around an hour later they walked into his home. On their way there he had stopped at a coffee shop to spoil her a bit with a grande salted caramel latte.

"I have a tub," he offered.  
"For what?" She asked.  
"Usually I use it for taking baths but feel free to raise some piranhas in it if you like," he joked. "I just figured you might like to lie there and soak after last night. Wash it all off."  
"I'd like that," she said.  
"Great. How does oyster pasta sound for dinner?" He asked.  
"Expensive," she answered.  
"Nothing's too good for you," he smiled. "Go run yourself a bath. You can take my tablet from the bedroom if you wanna watch some videos out there. And there's towels in the cabinet under the sink."

She walked over to him, took his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Thank you, Roman," she said.  
"Don't mention it," he said. "I'm here for you, Whitney. Whatever you need, I'm here for you."


	3. Dehumanized

Roman quite enjoyed that Monday morning. She was up when he got out of bed. She had freshly brewed coffee ready for him and a pancake batter ready to go on the skillet. She was almost like a little house wife. He had enjoyed his coffee and pancakes, silently hoping this would be what a future would look like with her if he ever got to have that.

"How is it to work at a bank?" She asked.  
"You know, the usual. Some people are happy, others complain they can't get a loan. I see all types of people," he answered. "How is it to work for a traveling agency?"  
"Busy," she shrugged. "You have no idea how many people call to get their money back if they didn't enjoy their vacation. Look, lady, I just book it for you. It's up to you to actually figure out what to do once you arrive."  
"If you were to travel yourself, where would you go?" He asked.  
"Iceland," she smiled. "It's very beautiful. I would like to see it at some point."  
"Maybe I'll take you there," he chuckled.

He kissed the top of her head and then fixed his tie.

"Duty calls. Don't burn down the house while I'm gone," he said.  
"No promises," she winked. "Oh, wait. I made you lunch."  
"You made me lunch?" He asked.

She handed him a bag and he couldn't help but feel even more drawn to her. She had made him lunch. No one had made him lunch since he was a kid, and his mother didn't count in this.

"It's nothing really. Just a couple of sandwiches. One with ham and cheese and one with pepperoni," she said.  
"It's perfect," he said. "Thank you."  
"Yeah, well, you cooked dinner," she said.  
"You cooked breakfast," he countered.  
"You bought me a salted caramel latte. And it was a grande. Don't ever underestimate the power of coffee," she said. "You've earned that lunch."

He went on with his day in a good mood. New day, new week, new mood. The weekend had been a shit show and he would do everything in his power to turn it around. She deserved that. His good mood disappeared when he came home. He had tried calling her to tell her he was off work but she hadn't picked up. The house was quiet when he entered it. Her shoes were still there though.

"Whitney?" He called.

He tried her phone again and he heard it ringing from the living room. It wasn't loud though. He walked in there and found it buried under a pillow on the couch. He picked it up and saw several unanswered calls.

"Whitney? Where are you?" He called.

He walked through the house and found his bedroom door closed. He opened it and found her on his bed. She sat with her back against the wall. Her legs were pulled up to her chest. Her head was on her knees and her arms around her legs.

"Whitney, what's wrong?" He asked.

He sat down next to her in bed. She raised her head to look at him. Her cheeks were still wet from crying. She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by her phone ringing. She started shaking and he looked at the caller ID. Unknown number like the day before.

"It's him. I picked up earlier. He won't stop calling," she said. "Make him stop, Roman. Please."

He was torn between holding her and screaming into the phone. He nodded at her, pressed the green button and put the phone to his ear.

"Finally you pick up. I figured you'd grow tired of your own game," Joe said.  
"What do you want, Joe?" Roman asked.  
"Roman?" Joe chuckled. "Of course she ran to you."  
"Don't play smart with me over the phone, boy. You know damn well I can take you. And I will come for you if I have to," Roman warned. "So I'm only gonna tell you this once. Stay the hell away from her or you will see me very soon."

He hung up and handed her the phone back.

"There. Hopefully that'll do the trick," he said.  
"Thank you," she said.  
"Do you wanna talk about what happened Saturday?" He asked.  
"You know," she looked down.  
"But talking about it is part of the healing process. I'll listen," he said.  
"I'm embarrassed," she said.  
"You have nothing to be embarrassed about. You didn't do anything wrong," he said.  
"You don't understand," she said. "I'm embarrassed with something he did. Something I never wanted to do. I feel so degraded and dehumanized."

He leaned his back up against the wall too, spread his legs, grabbed her around the waist and pulled her over to sit between his legs.

"What are you doing?" She asked.  
"You're only embarrassed because of eye contact," he answered. "I'm gonna sit here and you can sit here too or leave. You can talk or sing a song. Or we can sit in silence. It's your choice."

She didn't talk or move for a few seconds while she thought about it. Finally she leaned back against his chest.

"Will you massage my scalp?" She asked.  
"Of course," he answered.

He moved his hands to her head, running his fingers through her hair, massaging her scalp the best way he could. She was silent for a good, long thirty seconds before she finally cleared her throat.

"I fell asleep upstairs in Jason's bedroom," she said. "I woke up to something heavy on my legs and the feeling of my clothes being pulled down."

He listened to her tell everything. It took some time. Several times she had to stop. Many tears were being shed. Some of them weren't hers. He cried too. He didn't pressure her. She told the story in her own time and in her own words. Words that cut him into the bone.

When she was finally done, she was exhausted. She kept sitting between his legs, leaned up against his chest. He had moved his hands from her head and instead he had wrapped his arms around her waist. They sat there in silence for a long time until he realized she had fallen asleep up against him.

He gently maneuvered her around to get her to lie down. He was gonna let her sleep for as long as she needed. He figured she'd wake at some point during the evening when she got hungry. That never happened. When time came for him to go to bed, he had the choice between joining her or taking the couch she had slept on the night before. He wasn't sure if she was gonna hate him for it but he chose his bed. He was gonna be the perfect gentleman all night. If she felt the need to scream at him next morning, he would take every word with a smile.


	4. Creeps and cupcakes

Roman woke up to the feeling of fingers on his skin. Whitney was tracing his hairline, studying his face with her fingers, running them through his hair. It felt good and a small smile crept up on his face. He opened his eyes and looked into hers.

"I'm sorry," she said.

She removed her hand but he gently grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand back to his hair.

"Please, continue. It felt good," he said.  
"It's just..." She sighed. "I wanted to see what it would feel like to touch a man again. It seemed less frightening when you were sleeping. I know I'm a creep."  
"You can creep on me any day you want," he grinned. "But give it time. It's only been a few days. No one's expecting you to throw yourself at a man already."

She ran her fingers down his face and traced his slightly parted lips.

"I wanted to make my move Saturday," she kept looking at his lips. "I wanted to drink to get some courage and tell you how I feel. I drank way too much. I was so nervous."  
"Whitney, look at me," he said.

She moved her eyes from his lips to his eyes.

"Tell me now," he said.  
"I'm in love with you. I have been for so long. You have no idea how many times I pictured being with you when I was with Joe. Wondering how your lips would feel against mine. Wondering what else those lips could do in other places. Wondering how you like it or if you have any special kinks," she said.

He couldn't stop the grin from spreading on his face. She took it the wrong way. She thought he was about to laugh at her.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you. I just fucked up our friendship. I'll leave," she said.  
"No, please don't," he wrapped an arm around her waist. "I'm in love with you too. I have been ever since the day we met. I've been holding my tongue and buying me some time, figuring I'd give you room to breathe while getting out of a bad relationship. And then this shit happened and I'm scared to do anything because I don't want you to fear me. I don't want you to see me like another asshole trying to get in your pants and hurt you."

She moved forward fast and kissed him. He ran his hand up her back, burying it in her hair, enjoying her lips and tongue dancing with his. She broke the kiss and instead rested her forehead against his.

"Give me time," she said.  
"All the time you need," he said.  
"You can kiss me and hug me. Don't corner me. Don't move in from behind without warning me. I just need some time and we'll get there. Or here. Here in your bed but in less clothes," she said.  
"Doing what?" He chuckled.  
"Don't be a dick," she pinched his ass.  
"Hey!" He laughed. "That's assault!"  
"Yeah? Deal with it!" She laughed back.

He gently grabbed her chin and pecked her lips.

"Mostly I'm a normal guy when it comes to sex. There's no special kinks unless you count enjoying a striptease as one," he said.  
"What? No spanking or anything?" She asked.  
"Oh, sweetheart," he chuckled. "If that's what you're into, I'll paint your ass red."  
"Just so we're clear, that's all you'll ever be doing to my ass," she said.  
"Don't worry. Anal is highly overrated anyway and not really my thing," he pecked her lips again. "And now we gotta get out of bed. I still have to go to work."

After breakfast and a toe curling goodbye kiss, Roman went to work. She waited another hour before going to the local supermarket. She wanted to make him something delicious for dinner. He was a solid rock for her these days and she wanted to thank him. To her surprise she ran into Seth.

"Hey, why aren't you at work?" She asked.  
"Tuesday's my day off. Since I work Saturdays, I get Tuesdays off," he said.  
"How are things in the fashion world?" She asked.  
"Flashy," he grinned.

He worked in a clothes store for men. He was always dressed in the newest fashion.

"Lucky me for running into you. I wanna spoil Roman tonight but I don't know what his favorite food is," she said.  
"He'll eat anything," he said. "If you really wanna spoil him, make some dessert with walnuts. It doesn't matter what it is as long as it has walnuts in it. He's crazy about walnuts."  
"I guess I can make cupcakes," she said. "Thanks, Seth."

When Roman returned home from work, he was surprised with a homemade roastbeef, garlic potatoes, green beans and cognac sauce.

"Damn, this looks good," he said.  
"Make room for dessert," she warned him. "I got something special made for you."

He enjoyed the meal. She was a great chef. His eyes widened when she served him walnut cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting.

"How did you know?" He asked.  
"A little bird told me," she answered.  
"Did you happen to talk to Seth?" He chuckled.  
"A woman never reveals her secrets," she said.

He took her hand and gently pulled her down to sit on his lap.

"This is amazing. You're amazing," he lifted up a cupcake. "Share it with me."  
"There's like twenty more in the fridge," she said.  
"And I wanna share the first one with you," he said.


	5. Water

The next few days went by fast and Friday quickly arrived. He let her run the show when it came to them doing anything intimate together. It still hadn't gone beyond kissing and touching. He wouldn't force it on her.

"I'll be home an hour earlier today," he said as he kissed her goodbye. "Should we order something and be lazy all evening?"  
"Watch a few movies and cuddle in bed?" She asked.  
"Yeah," he smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

A few hours passed before her phone started ringing. She didn't think twice about it being an unknown caller ID. She was so caught up in the happiness inside her that she answered without thinking about it.

"Hello?" She asked.  
"Hi, baby," Joe said. "Don't hang up!"

She didn't say anything. She wanted to hang up but she stood there frozen.

"Are you still there?" He asked.  
"Yes," she answered lowly.  
"I got the promotion," he said.  
"Congratulations," she said.  
"It was my time. This means I'm moving. I want you to come with me," he said.  
"You can't be serious," she said.  
"Dead serious. Come on, Roman? You've had your fun this week and I'm not even mad about it. But you and I both know we're meant to be together. So tell him goodbye and go home. I'll stop by tomorrow with that cherry pie you love from the bakery and we can start planning our future," he said.

She didn't know what to say. No matter what she said, she wouldn't be able to get through to him. Instead she hung up. He called back right away. She turned her phone off completely and sat down on the couch. She didn't realize how long she had been sitting there until Roman suddenly came home.

"Whitney!" His voice sounded so far away. "Hey, sweetheart, snap out of it!"

She felt him lightly shake her shoulder. She turned her head to see him sitting next to her on the couch. He had a worried look on his face.

"What's wrong?" He asked.  
"He's moving out of town," she answered.  
"Who? Joe? That's a good thing, isn't it?" He asked.  
"He's coming for me tomorrow," she answered.  
"He what?" He growled. "No, no, no! He doesn't get to play like that! I warned him! I fucking warned him!"

He jumped up from the couch in anger. She stood up too, staring at his back.

"Roman?" She asked.

He spun around, engulfed her in his arms and kissed her. He slowly moved her out of the room. He didn't let go until he had moved her all the way to the bathroom.

"Why are we in here?" She asked.  
"I won't let him hurt you. I promise. Now you're gonna run yourself a bath and relax, okay? Just relax, sweetheart. I'll be back soon," he said.  
"Where are you going?" She asked.  
"To make him understand that I wasn't kidding the other day," he answered.  
"Roman," she said.  
"You can't talk me out of it," he said.  
"I wasn't gonna. I was gonna tell you to be careful," she said.

He kissed her again. So many feelings came out of him and into that kiss.

"I love you. I probably don't have a right to say that yet but I've loved you for so long," he said.  
"I love you too," she said. "Be careful. And hurry back."

He locked the front door behind him as he left his house. He looked at the clock and realized Seth was getting off work. He drove to the shop and parked right outside. Seth came out two minutes later.

"What are you doing here?" Seth asked.  
"Get in," Roman said. "We're paying Joe a visit."  
"I know he's an idiot but what did he do to deserve getting beat up?" Seth asked.  
"Saturday," Roman grabbed the steering wheel tight. "He raped her upstairs. He fucking raped her while we were partying downstairs. And now he won't leave her alone. He's leaving town and I'm gonna make sure he doesn't ever wanna come back to visit. I don't need you to do anything other than make sure I don't kill him."  
"Fuck that!" Seth jumped into the car. "If he raped her, I'm beating him up too."

They drove directly to Joe's house. The lights were on. Roman grabbed the handle of the front door and found it unlocked. He walked inside with Seth following behind. Music sounded combined with Joe singing. They followed the sounds and found him in the kitchen cooking dinner.

"Hey asshole!" Roman said.

Joe spun around and was met with a fist to his nose. He fell backwards into the countertop as more fists followed by both Roman and Seth.

"Please! Stop!" He begged.

A few kicks landed on him too and then he was pulled up. Roman had his hands on Joe's shirt and they were standing almost nose to nose.

"I told you to leave her alone or I would come for you," Roman said.  
"I'm sorry. I won't bother her again. I promise," Joe said.  
"Give me your phone," Roman said.

Joe pulled out his phone and Seth quickly grabbed it. He located Whitney's number in Joe's phone.

"What's her number?" Seth asked.  
"I don't know," Joe said.  
"What's her god damn number?" Roman yelled.  
"I don't know! I never bothered to memorize it!" Joe yelled back.  
"Good. That's all I need to know," Seth said.

He deleted the number along with the history of text messages and calls placed to it.

"All clear," Seth grinned.  
"Good," Roman said. "When are you moving, Joe?"  
"Two weeks from now", Joe said.  
"Wrong answer," Roman said.

Roman pulled Joe to the stove, grabbed Joe's wrist and held it dangerously close to the pot he was boiling pasta in.

"No, please!" Joe cried.  
"You're moving tomorrow, aren't you, Joe?" Roman asked.  
"Yes! Tomorrow! I'll be out of here first thing!" Joe cried.  
"Good boy," Roman said.

He released Joe's wrist and mockingly tapped his cheek.

"Pack tonight, move tomorrow. If I ever see you in this town again, boiling water will be your preferable form of torture when you see what else I can do to you," Roman said.

Roman and Seth returned to Roman's house together right after leaving Joe's house. The door to the bathroom was open and Roman could hear that Whitney was still in the tub.

"Go to the kitchen and find a pizzeria to order from," Roman said.

Seth walked out in the kitchen and Roman walked out to the bathroom.

"Whitney?" He asked.  
"Come in," she said.

He walked in and looked at her in the water. He sucked in his breath and her eyes dropped to his crotch.

"Looks like something came up," she joked.  
"You're a mean woman, you know that?" He said.  
"I've been thinking," she said.

She moved around to sit on her knees. Her bare breasts left the water and was right there, ready for him to touch.

"I think I'm ready," she said.  
"Think?" He asked. "Sweetheart, I want you to know."  
"Just be gentle," she waved him over. "Come here."  
"Just a second," he said.

He took a step backwards and turned his head.

"Seth?" He yelled.  
"Shit, he's here?" She asked.  
"Yeah?" Seth yelled back.  
"On second thought, why don't you drive down there and buy the pizzas in person?" Roman yelled.  
"How long do you need?" Seth yelled back.

Roman looked at Whitney with a grin on his face. She shook her head at the obvious guy talk.

"30 minutes should be enough! I'm not giving her the full ride just yet!" Roman yelled.  
"30 minutes it is. Better be hungry when I get back!" Seth yelled.  
"Oh, we will," Roman smirked at Whitney.

They heard the front door slam. Roman grabbed a towel and walked over to the tub. He helped her out of it and started drying her.

"So if I'm not getting the full ride, what am I getting then?" She asked.  
"My tongue," he grinned. "Slow. Painfully slow. I'm gonna drive you to the edge again and again before I allow you to fall over. I want you to soak my sheets so much that I need to change them before we go to bed."  
"Roman!" She whimpered.  
"And tonight you'll get the full ride if you're ready for it. And don't go telling me that you are if you're not," he said. "Honesty is the key if this is ever gonna work. I've waiting so long for you. I can always wait longer."


End file.
